The Plan B Adventure

Wow….what a great time we had learning and experiencing Laos. Starting in the far North, venturing into the untravelled East, and finishing up in the unassuming capital of Vientiane. We will have to save the South and it’s island mystique for another “round-the-world” trip. It looks like an entirely different experience altogether.

Well, of course, by now you’ve had time to follow our Mekong slow boat trip that took us to Luang Prabang as well as the time to read and view our great experiences in the Lao provinical capital. After L.P. we booked a public (meaning: cheap $8) Lao bus from Luang Prabang to Phonsavan, which are only 273 kms apart yet the trip is a good 10 hours. Oh yea…..we were prepared for this one. We got to the station early, strategically sat across from each other (monopolizing a double seat each), and buckled in for the adventure. By this time we were beginning to understand every trip on Lao transportation of any kind was an all-inclusive adventure of people, personalities, smells, sounds and, inevitably, livestock. At least on this bus they put the rooster in a cage on the top of the bus!!!

In all seriousness, if we can recommend to fellow travellers a way to get to Phonsavan this is it. All you need is a sack lunch, quite a bit of bottled water and kneepads. The only slightly uncomfortable part of this trip is if you happen to be taller than the average Laotian, which is gotta be 5’5″ so we both qualify. Unless you want to spend the $50 for a 30 minute flight, pony up the $8 each and jump onto this bus for Mr Toad’s Wild Ride. After quite a few fun and, not so, comfortable (Thanks China!!) bus adventures this is tame and gorgeous.

Over the 273 km trip we think we counted 1025 lane changes, 2371 hair-pin turns, and countless occasions when we could have easily envisioned ourselves plunging off a 3000 foot ravine. Now if you are weathered for this type of travel (As we are!!) then this is a gorgeous ride. The Lao mountain ranges differ tremendously. Each consist of their own lush vegetation, unique hill-top and road-side villages, multiple well-placed primary schools, and the ever-present, risky local animal that thinks he’s faster than the bus. We swear they don’t kill their own chickens and cows for food in Laos they just wait for the buses (No, we didn’t hit any) to hit them. The local bus offers a great experience. The drivers stop often (albeit roadside) for potty breaks, locals jump off and on during the whole trip, plenty of space as your luggage is chained to the roof, and the seat cushions are surprisingly comfy…even if you DO have to sit on them for 10 hours.

Entering Phonsavan in the Xieng Khouang province is very interesting. This area borders Vietnam and contains multiple networks of tunnels used by Vietnamese and Lao alike in the war against the French and American imperialists. So as you descend from the mountains you encounter the sights of multiple pock-marked hills from the intense American military attack across an expansive, rolling landscape. The area is also more positively-known for it’s Plain of Jars (the reason we are here) discovery in the early 1900’s. These Jars are billed as being fairly mysterious yet as we come to find not so much when you put your mind to formulating (something the guidebook writers don’t do) an explanation. We couldn’t wait to see for ourselves and after settling into our $4 guesthouse in the sleepy, yet construction-filled town of Phonsavan we booked a tour and took a day to explore the mystery (??) of the Jars.

As we come to find from our fun guide, Vi Jang (not so much English but he’s gettin’ there) the Jars represent different, ancient burial sites. Unlike some of his colleagues (whom believe they were used to ferment rice whiskey) Vi Jang knows what he is talking about as we confirmed later on the Lao National History Museum in Vientiane. This area was a midpoint (albeit a remote point) on the southern trade route that linked the east coast of Southeast Asia with the East Indian trade routes. Due to this link many people accumulated in the area and took up residence. When they died the Jars were used either as a grave or crematorium. This theory was put together as archeologists found burial artefacts (gems, ironwork, etc) inside the jars along side fossilized bones. The more important people were buried on higher hills in larger Jars and the lesser lower lands. OK….so we hope that history interests some of you as much as us…there are also some pretty cool pictures if you are more visual.

After the Jars there isn’t much to see Phonsavan (bit of a one-trick pony) unless you want to see some of the U.S. landing strips for drug-running, numerous bomb craters, or other remnants of the war we love to hate. But we thought we’d save that history for Vietnam itself as we will be there in a few weeks time. We had a few great bowls of noodle soup and fried rice, checked out a local market, attempted the slowest internet access yet, then caught a VIP bus to Vientiane, a short 10 hours jaunt to the southwest.